The Summarize Written Text section in the PTE Speaking & Writing test evaluates your ability to condense and convey the main idea of a given lengthy text in a single sentence. One of the emerging and heavily tested topics is Fast Fashion And Waste Management, which has become a serious environmental issue worldwide. Understanding the intersection of textile waste, fast production, and inadequate waste management is crucial for success in this section.
In this article, we provide a Summarize Written Text practice exercise on the topic Fast Fashion and Waste Management. The task is modeled according to the PTE Writing guidelines, complete with example answers and analysis of key scoring factors like content, grammar, and vocabulary usage to help you boost your performance.
Practice Task: Fast Fashion and Waste Management
Summarize the text in one sentence. Your response must be between 5 and 75 words.
Task Prompt:
Fast fashion, a trend of creating inexpensive, quickly produced clothing driven by relentless consumer demand, has led to devastating environmental consequences, particularly in waste management. The rapid churn of styles encourages consumers to purchase clothing frequently and dispose of perfectly usable garments, contributing to an ever-growing problem of textile waste. Many of these garments are made from synthetic materials that do not decompose easily in landfills. Without proper waste management strategies, fast fashion fuels landfill overflow, pollutes oceans with microplastics, and exacerbates carbon emissions due to the energy required to produce, transport, and dispose of clothing items. Efforts to improve textile recycling and promote sustainable fashion practices are growing, but the solution requires systemic changes involving consumers, manufacturers, and policymakers to reduce and better manage waste arising from the fast fashion industry.
Model Answers and Analysis
Band 90 Response
The fast fashion industry accelerates consumerism, leading to significant environmental damage through textile waste, microplastic pollution, and carbon emissions, calling for coordinated efforts involving all stakeholders to reduce and manage waste sustainably.
Content: Comprehensive; captures the main points about environmental consequences and actions needed.
Form: The response is between 5-75 words.
Grammar: Flawless use of complex sentence structures.
Vocabulary: Advanced, contextually appropriate vocabulary (“significant environmental damage,” “coordinated efforts”).
Spelling: No spelling errors.
Band 80 Response
The fast fashion industry causes large amounts of waste and pollution as discarded synthetic clothes do not decompose easily, thus requiring a collective effort to encourage sustainable practices and improve waste recycling.
Content: Covers the key points, though not as detailed as the higher band.
Form: Response is within the word limit.
Grammar: Good grammatical structures.
Vocabulary: Good range (“waste,” “sustainable practices,” “recycling”).
Spelling: No spelling errors.
Band 70 Response
Fast fashion contributes to waste and pollution, and more recycling and sustainable action is needed to handle it.
Content: Brief but addresses the core idea of waste and the need for sustainability.
Form: Fits within the word limit.
Grammar: Simple sentence structure but accurate.
Vocabulary: Basic range (“waste,” “pollution,” “sustainable”).
Spelling: No spelling errors.
Band 60 Response
Fast fashion leads to a lot of trash and non-recycling, and a solution is needed.
Content: Lacks specific details and misses some essential points like pollution and collaboration.
Form: Adequately short.
Grammar: Basic grammar with minor errors (e.g., “non-recycling”).
Vocabulary: Limited range, repetitive.
Spelling: No spelling errors.
Vocabulary and Grammar Focus
For higher scores in the PTE Summarize Written Text task, it’s essential to understand some vocabulary specific to the topic of fast fashion and waste management. Here are 10 advanced vocabulary words from the text, along with their meanings and pronunciation tips.
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Textile /ˈtɛk.staɪl/: A type of cloth or woven fabric.
Example: The textile industry is one of the biggest contributors to landfill waste. -
Synthetic /sɪnˈθɛtɪk/: Made by chemical synthesis, especially to mimic a natural product.
Example: Synthetic materials take longer to decompose in landfills. -
Decompose /ˌdiː.kəmˈpoʊz/: Break down into simpler substances or rot.
Example: Synthetic fabrics decompose very slowly in nature. -
Microplastics /ˈmaɪ.kroʊˌplæstɪks/: Tiny plastic particles harmful to marine environments.
Example: Microplastics from synthetic clothing contribute to ocean pollution. -
Pollution /pəˈluːʃən/: The introduction of harmful materials into the environment.
Example: Fast fashion greatly increases pollution through waste production. -
Carbon emissions /ˈkɑːr.bən ɪˈmɪʃəz/: The release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Example: Fast fashion increases carbon emissions through production and transportation. -
Stakeholder /ˈsteɪkˌhoʊldər/: A person, group, or organization with an interest or concern in a business or project.
Example: Stakeholders in the fashion industry are working to reduce its environmental impact. -
Sustainable /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/: Capable of being maintained over the long term without harming the environment.
Example: Sustainable fashion promotes eco-friendly production methods. -
Recycling /raɪˈsaɪklɪŋ/: The process of converting waste into reusable material.
Example: Recycling textiles is an important solution to reduce fashion waste. -
Consumerism /kənˈsuː.mɚˌɪzəm/: The practice of buying and using goods in large quantities.
Example: Consumerism drives the fast fashion industry and increases waste.
Conclusion
The rise of fast fashion has created significant textile waste management challenges, which are frequently tested topics in PTE’s Summarize Written Text section. Through this critical environmental issue, you can improve your summarization skills by capturing all key details on the issue of fast fashion’s impact on waste, pollution, and sustainable efforts.
For further practice, you can explore additional resources including topics such as Fast fashion industry’s environmental impact, and Biodegradable plastics and waste management. Keep practicing to master the task through the regularly updated exercises at PTE Online.
Leave your thoughts or any questions in the comments to share your experiences and learning.
